1. After relating the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the previous chapter, we left the eleven Apostles, the disciples, the pious women and other believers gathered about the Most Holy Virgin Mary in the Cenacle of Jerusalem, according as the Lord had commanded until the Coming of the Holy Ghost. From the Ascension of the Lord, in the days leading up to Pentecost Sunday, all in the Cenacle about the Divine Mother made due preparation, under Her most wise guidance, to receive the Holy Ghost. Both communities of religious, in separate quarters, lived with one accord in charity, prayer and fasting, each one fulfilling his obligations; while in the Cenacle there were still faithful of both sexes that were not religious. Among other prayers, the Virgin recommended the recitation of the Our Father as the prayer most complete and most pleasing to the Father. But they derived their greatest spiritual strength from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that Peter celebrated daily for the two communities of religious, and in which they received Holy Communion; though the other Apostles also celebrated the eucharistic Sacrifice at other times of the day. Continuing, then, our interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles written by Saint Luke, whose sacred text will serve as basis for the compilation of this chapter, we proceed to analyze the first event following the Lord’s Ascension related in the Sacred Book, namely the election of the Apostle Matthias. In the Acts of the Apostles we see how Peter, plainly aware of his supreme dignity as Head of the Church, addresses all in the Cenacle: «In those days, Peter, rising up in the midst of the brethren, said (now the number of persons there together was about a hundred and twenty): Men, brethren, the Scripture must needs be fulfilled which the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus: who was numbered with us and had obtained part in this ministry» (Acts I, 15-17); that is, had obtained office in this ministry. As we see in verses 16-19 of the sacred text, he began the allocution first by reminding all of Judas’ prevarication, cause of the vacant place left among the Apostles, when it was the will of Christ Himself, and had been foretold, that the first principal columns of the Church had to be twelve in number, in memory of the twelve tribes of Israel with which God had constituted His Chosen People of the Old Testament; which latter, after the apostasy of the Jews, continued through His Church founded on the twelve Apostles under the Supreme Authority of Peter. But let us examine that allocution of Peter in the Cenacle: «For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take» (Acts I, 20-1; Ps. LXVIII, 26 and CVIII, 8); since here, besides indicating that God had dispensed with the Levitical High Priests for the hierarchy of the New Church, and had replaced them with the Apostles, he alludes chiefly to the election of a new Apostle as substitute for the traitor bishop Judas Iscariot. After that introduction, Peter continued his sermon to those in the Cenacle, as we see in the Acts of the Apostles: «Wherefore of these men who have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when He was taken up from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of his Resurrection» (Acts I, 21-22). Concerning the election of the new candidate for the Apostolic College, Saint Mary of Jesus of Agreda says that the Most Holy Virgin Mary, knowing who should be the new Apostle, nevertheless remitted «the matter to Saint Peter in order that he might begin to exercise in the New Church the office of Pontiff and Head, as Vicar of Christ»; wherefore Saint Mary of Jesus of Agreda goes onto say, as we interpret, that She directed Peter to hold the election in the presence of the Apostles, the disciples, the holy women and the others, in order for all to see him act as Supreme Head of the Church. We teach that when Peter had ended his sermon, the other Apostles, at his behest, proposed two of the disciples that had been with Christ from the beginning; for thus is to be interpreted the sacred text of Saint Luke: «And they appointed two: Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias» (Acts I, 23). When the two candidates had been put forward, Peter ordered all present to beseech of God which of the two should be elected. That is why we read in the Acts of the Apostles: «And praying, they said: Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two Thou hast chosen to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath by transgression fallen, that he might go to his own place» (Acts I, 24-25); that is, that he might be eternally condemned for his obstinacy in wickedness. The sacred text goes on to say: «And they gave them lots: and the lot fell upon Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven Apostles» (Acts I, 26); the doctrinal sense of which is: «And submitting the election to prayer, the office fell to Matthias and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles». For we teach that after those in the Cenacle had prayed to the Lord to enlighten Peter, the latter, in virtue of his Supreme Apostolic Authority, in the presence of all chose Matthias and named him Apostle to occupy the place left vacant in the Apostolic College; for it can never be admitted that the election of Matthias was the result of a vote, lots or game of chance. The election of Saint Matthias took place on Monday the 9th of May of the year 34. After the election and on the same day, the Apostle Peter, during the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, conferred the diaconate, presbyterate and episcopate on Matthias, by way of a single imposition of his hands on the candidate’s head, without pronouncing any words. In the solemn ceremony, the first Pope also conferred the diaconate, presbyterate and episcopate on the Holy Prophet Agabus, and at the same time named him Vice-General of the Carmelite Order, though this office was subject to the authority of each of the twelve Apostles.

2. But let us now consider who was present in the Cenacle on the 9th of May of the year 34, and how the Carmelite religious conununities of both sexes were then organized. To do so we shall take.as our basis the dogmatic Definitions of His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII, Holy Scripture and other sources. On that 9th of May, after the election of Matthias, Peter the first Pope completed the number of 72 official disciples or Princes of the Church (inferior to the Apostles, be it understood), choosing eight disciples, namely Sidonius and the seven Apostolic Missionaries: Abenadar, Ctesiphon, Indaletius, Cecilius, Torquatus, Euphrasius, Hesychius and Secundus. Besides, the Most Holy Virgin Mary admitted as religious and new disciples of hers: Mary the wife of Obed, and the Cyrenian’s wife, who at baptism had received the name of Mary. Not counting the Most Holy Virgin Mary, on that date there were 124 religious present in the Cenacle, 84 comprising the male branch and 40 the female. We now proceed to name the members of both communities gathered about the Divine Mother of Jesus.

I. THE TWELVE APOSTLES

1. Pope Peter7. Matthew

2. James the Greater8. Thomas

3. John9. James the Less

4. Andrew 10. Judas Thaddeus

5. Philip 11. Simon the Cananean

6. Bartholomew 12. Matthias

II. THE 72 DISCIPLES

(Which we classify in three groups according to the moment Christ chose them, and those chosen by Peter)

(A) Disciples chosen by Christ and who belonged to the official group of 72 when the apostasy of 19-II-33 took place, and who persevered in the faith (among them was the new Apostle Matthias)

1. The Prophet Agabus (Treatise on the Mass XX, 38)

2. Jude Barsabas (TM XXX, 95)

3. Joseph Barsabas, called the Just (TM XXX, 95)

4. Joseph of Arimathea (TM XXXII, 7)

5. Nicodemus (TM XXXII, 7)

6. Obed, father of John Mark (TM XXXIII, 3)

7. John Mark, future Evangelist (TM XXXIII, 3)

8. Stephen, future Protomartyr (TM XXX, 95)

9. Ananias, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (IX, 10)

10. Joseph, surnamed Barnabas (TM XXXII, 25: Acts IV, 36)

11. Aristaria (TM XXX, 95)

12. Cocharia (TM XXX, 95)

13. Saturninus (TM XXX, 95)

14. Parmenas (TM XXX, 95; Acts VI, 5)

15. Tarsicius (TM XXX, 95)

16. Aristobulus (TM XXX, 95)

17. Cleophas of Emmaus (TM XXX, 95)

18. Jacob of Emmaus * (TM XXX, 95)

19. Jude of Emmaus * (TM XXX, 95)

20. Japhet of Emmaus * (TM XXX, 95)

(* Brothers of Cleophas of Emmaus) 21. Aram(TM XXX, 95)

22. Temmeni (TM XXX, 95)

23. Colaya (TM XXX, 95)

24. Aristarchus (TM XXX, 95)

25. Jonas of Cyprus (TM XXXII, 26)

26. Mnason of Cyprus (TM XXXII, 33)

27. Jason, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (XVII, 5). and in the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans (XVI, 21)

28. Ruben ** (TM XXXI, 76)

29. Issachar ** (TM XXXI, 76)

30. Mathathias ** (TM XXXI, 76)

(** The three Shepherds of Bethlehem)

31. Isai, the fomerly possessed Pharisee, Lea’s husband (TM XXXI, 86)

(B) Disciples chosen by Christ after the apostasy of 19-11-33

1. Lazarus of Bethany

2. Gamaliel (TM XXXII, 7)

3. Abib, Gamaliel’s son (TM XXXII, 7)

4. Luke, future Evangelist (TM XXXIII, 3)

5. Simon the Leper (TM XXXII, 68)

6. Cyrinus of Cyprus (TM XXXII, 26)

7. Apelles, mentioned in the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans XVI, 10)

8. Lucius of Cyrene, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (XIII, 1)

9. Aristion, mentioned in the Martyrology

10. Joseph the Indecisive

11. Thomas the Waverer

12. Silas, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (XV, 22 and 27)

13. Zacheus of Jericho (TM XXXII, 120)

14. Abdeus, afterwards evangelizer of Edessa, in present-day

Asian Turkey

15. Philip, named in the Acts of the Apostles (VI, 5)

16. Prochorus, named in the Acts of the Apostles (VI, 5)

17. Nicanor, named in the Acts of the Apostles (VI, 5)

18. Timon, named in the Acts of the Apostles (VI, 5)

19. Manasses the Scribe (TM XXXII, 148)

20. Martial, son of the widow of Naim (TM XX, 27)

21. Elpidius, the Paralytic of Bethesda (TM XXXI, 3)

22. Pius, the Samaritan leper who, of the ten healed,returned to give thanks (TM XXXII, 67)

23. Nazarius, one of the blind man of Jericho, called Bartimeus in the Gospel as he was the son of Timeus (TM XXXII 124)

24. Abelius, the other blind man of Jericho (TM XXXII, 124)

25. Ases, one of the ex-possessed men of Gerasa (TM XXXI, 99)

26. Josias, the other ex-possessed man of Gerasa (TM XXXI, 99)

27. Henoch, the son of the widow of the mite (TM XXXII, 157)

28. Chusa Manahen, the Ruler (TM XXX, 53; Acts XIII, 1)

29. Jonathan, the blind man of Bethsaida (TM XXXII, 41)

30. Linus, first successor to Saint Peter in the Papacy

31. Cletus, second successor to Saint Peter in the Papacy

32. Clement, third successor to Saint Peter in the Papacy

33. Longinus, the soldier who transpierced the Deific Side of Christ (TM XXXIV, 143)

(C) Disciples chosen by Peter on the 9th of May of the year 34

1. Sidonius (TM XXXIV, 166)

2. Abenadar Ctesiphon (TM XXXIV, 137) *

3. Indaletius *

4. Cecilius *

5. Torquatus *

6. Euphrasius *

7. Hesychius *

8. Secundus *

(* afterwards known as the seven Apostolic Missionaries to Spain)

III The 40 PIOUS WOMEN OR DISCIPLES OF MARY

(given that the Carmelite women religious at the time of the Apostles should also be honoured with this title)

1. Mary Cleophas, sister of the Most Holy Virgin Mary(TM XXX, 76)

2. Mary Salome, sister of the Most Holy Virgin Mary (TM XXX, 76)

3. Seraphia the Veronica (TM XXX, 76)

4. Martha of Bethany *

5. Mary Magdalen of Bethany *

(* Lazarus, sisters)

6. Seba of Nazareth (TM XXX, 76)

7. Photina the Samaritan (TM XXX, 102)

8. Carmel, Apostle Peter’s wife (TM XXX, 76), name given to her by the Most Holy Virgin Mary the day she entered religion

9. June, Apostle Matthew’s wife (TM XXX, 76)

10. Rose, Apostle Andrew’s wife (TM XXX, 76)

11. Sara, Apostle Philip’s wife (TM XXX, 76)

12. Mara, Apostle Peter’s mother-in-law (TM XXX, 76)

13. Anna Cleophas, Apostle Bartholomew’s mother (TM XXX, 76)

14. Joanna Chusa, wife of the Ruler (TM XXXI, 75)

15. Lea of Nazareth (TM XXX, 76)

16. Susanna of Cana (TM XXX, 76)

17. Elizabeth, the widow of the mite (TM XXXII, 157)

18. Mary Mercuria (TM XXXII, 28)

19. Miriam, wife of Zacheus (TM XXXII, 120)

20. Lea, wife of Isai the Pharisee (TM XXXI, 86)

21. Salome, daughter of Jairus (TM XXXI, 102)

22. Petronilla, daughter of Peter the Apostle, born to his marriage before he was chosen by Christ

23. Claudia Procula, wife of Pontius Pilate (TM XXXIV, 64)

24. Baruca **

25. Abigail **

26. Jonasa **

27. Lydia **

(** the disciple Philip’s four daughters, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (XXI, 9))

28. Mary, mother of Saint Mark the Evangelist (TM XXXIII, 3)

29. Justa the Canaanite (TM XXXII, 24)

30. Berenice, daughter of the Canaanite (TM XXXII, 24)

31. Venusia, the bowed woman of Bethany (TM XXXII, 3)

32. Rhode (Rose), mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (XII, 13) 33. Licinia, the converted adulteress (TM XXXII, 74)

34. Maroni, the widow of Naim (TM XX, 37)

35. Mary, wife of Simon of Cyrene (TM XXXIV, 97; Rom. XVI, 6)

36. Enue, the woman with an issue of blood (TM XXXI, 104)

37. Tabitha (in Greek, Dorcas), mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (IX, 36)

38. Jacobina, the dropsical woman of Cyprus (TM XXXII, 29)

39. Flora ***

40. Nora ***

(*** Claudia Procula’s sisters)

In addition to the enumerated members of both religious communities, a good number of terciaries of the Order of Carmel was also present in the Cenacle on the 9th of May of the year 34, among whom were to be found: Jairus and his wife Lucy, parents of the religious Salome, who had been raised to life by Christ (TM XXXI, 100); Simon of Cyrene and his two sons Alexander and Rufus (TM XXXIV, 97); the women who wailed and lamented following after Jesus carrying the Cross (TM XXXIV, 100), whom we teach were 17 in number and were called:

1. Rachel10. Susanna

2. Mara11. Venusia

3. Miriam12. Rachel

4. Clavelia13. Lia

5. Sara14. Martha

6. Mary15. Debbora

7. Martha16. Anne

8. Rachel17. Mary

9. Anne

Following this enumeration, we make the following clarifications:

When in Chapter XXXIII of this Treatise, speaking of the Last Supper of Holy Thursday, we said that «there were some 120 persons gathered in the Cenacle, counting Apostles, disciples, holy women and other followers of the Master», it must be understood that, Judas Iscariot included, 113 persons were gathered there, not counting Christ and His Most Holy Mother. In other words, at the Mass of the Lord there were present: the twelve Apostles, the disciples, the Carmelite women religious, as also Lazarus of Bethany, Martha, Mary Magdalen and Obed’s wife, making a total of 113 persons.

During the second part of Christ’s sermon of Holy Thursday, at Lazarus’house in Jerusalem, there were present, nonetheless, 116 persons, of whom: (1) 112, not counting Christ and His Most Holy Mother, comprised the eleven Apostles, the disciples, the pious women, Lazarus and his two sisters from Bethany and Mary the wife of Obed. Be it understood that Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and Gamaliel are included in this number, although they were not physically present, since meantime they had to fulfil the mission Christ had charged them with at the Cenacle, where they were enlightened on the mysteries He taught at Lazarus’ house; and so in that manner they were spiritually present at the sermon. (2) The other four who completed the number of 116 were the scribe Manasses, Claudia Procula the wife of Pilate, her servant Mary the wife of the Cyrenian and the soldier Longinus, since these four also were present at the second part of Christ’s Sermon, at Lazarus’ house. Concerning the latter four it must needs be stated that, as we know, after the institution of Holy Mass at the Cenacle, Christ had remained there in the company of the eleven Apostles, as also of His Most Holy Mother and Her two sisters, all the rest having departed for Lazarus’ house in Jerusalem. While these waited for Christ and for those who had stayed with Him at the Cenacle to arrive and continue His Sermon, Lazarus went in search of Manasses, to whom he was bound by certain ties of friendship and who he felt would accept his invitation gladly, as indeed he did; for the scribe, since his conversation with Christ in the Temple the previous day, Wednesday the 23rd of March of the year 34 (TM XXXII, 148), was much drawn by His teaching. Claudia Procula’s attendance at the second part of the Sermon was owing to the visit that her two sisters Flora and Nora had made to invite her, since both belonged to the community of women religious after having been converted as consequence of the resurrection of Lazarus, and having been baptised in Bethany by Christ on the eve of Palm Sunday. Prior to their conversion the two sisters had already received instruction from Mary Magdalen and Martha. We clarify that Claudia Procula and her two sisters went to Lazarus’ house accompanied and escorted by Longinus; hence the soldier was «also present at Christ’s Sermon, respectfully - though with some indifference - listening to his teachings. As Mary, wife of the Cyrenian, was Claudia Procula’s trusted maidservant, she also accompanied her mistress to Lazarus’ house, though given her lowly condition, she was neither very attentive nor did she understand what she heard, though she was favourably impressed.

The three young disciples Linus, Cletus and Clement, who were to succeed Peter in the Papacy, had been chosen by Christ on Palm Sunday of the year 34 after He left the Temple. The three were Jewish proselytes and natives of Italy, come to Jerusalem for the Passover.

As for Lazarus of Bethany, we teach that Christ elected him disciple on the 10th of April of the year 34, moments after conferring the Papacy on Peter. That same day, Martha and Mary Magdalen joined the community of women religious.

A day before withdrawing into the desert to prepare for His Passion (5-II-34), Christ chose as disciples two rabbis called Joseph the Indecisive and Thomas the Waverer who had been following Him for some time at a distance without committing themselves.

Regarding the seven Apostolic Missionaries, it is well to explain that Abenadar Ctesiphon, who was the Centurion, had been baptized by Peter after Christ’s Resurrection. The other six: Indaletius, Cecilius, Torquatus, Euphrasius, Hesychius and Secundus, soldiers in Abenadar Ctesiphon’s century, had been converted on Calvary by the great prodigies that occurred there and by the public testimony of the converted Centurion, and were baptized on the same day as he.

Simon of Cyrene, his wife Mary and their sons Alexander and Rufus, were also baptized by Peter after Christ’s Resurrection, father and sons remaining terciaries for the time being.

We here identify the Pharisee of the Gospel who invited Christ to dine at his home (Luke XI, 37-41) as the man possessed by an unclean spirit and previously healed by Christ (Mark I, 22-28). That Pharisee, who according to the Treatise of the Mass (TM XXXI, 86) was Lea’s husband, and whom we now know as Isai, was not wholly converted when freed from the devil in Capharnaum on the 1st of June of the year 31, but rather corresponded fully to the divine call during the meal he offered Christ at his home in that town on the 2nd of January of the year 33.

On the day of His Ascension, shortly before ascending into Heaven, Christ designated Manasses a disciple of His, and forthwith baptized him. He then also baptized Claudia Procula and others. Likewise, on that day Christ elected Longinus a disciple of His. All this took place at Lazarus’ home in Bethany, which as we know Christ visited before climbing to the top of Mount Olivet, whence he ascended to Heaven.

At the beginning of His Public Life, Christ gave Peter’s daughter the name Petronilla when He baptized her by the Lake of Tiberias.

3. In the Acts of the Apostles, the Coming of the Holy Ghost is narrated thus: «And when the days of Pentecost were accomplished, they were all with one accord in the same place. And suddenly there came a roar from Heaven, as of a wind that blew with all might: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them separate tongues as of fire, and it rested upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they began to speak with diverse tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak» (Acts II, 1-4). This Holy Council teaches that on Sunday the 15th of May of the year 34, at exactly 9 a.m., that is, at the beginning of terce, there took place in Jerusalem the apotheotic Coming of the Holy Ghost upon the twelve Apostles, the 72 disciples, the 40 women disciples of Mary and the previously mentioned ‘good number of terciaries of the Order of Carmel’. All were at the Cenacle about the Divine Mary. In order also to be present at so great an event, the interplanetary Apostles Elias, Henoch and Moses came from Mary’s Planet to the Cenacle, where they were seen by all there gathered. But it is well to consider some details of the apotheotic effusion of the Paraclete, according to our interpretation of Saint Luke’s sacred text. As the Divine Mary, most pure Spouse of the Holy Ghost, knew the day and the hour of the Most Divine Paraclete’s visitation, She ensured that all Her children should be suitably prepared. To that end She told Pope Peter to celebrate, at 8 a.m. on that memorable Pentecost Sunday morning, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in the hall where the Last Supper of the Lord had taken place, which hall, by wish of the Divine Mother, had been converted into a chapel after the Ascension of Her Divine Son, the Most Blessed Sacrament under the species of bread being reserved there. The two communities of religious and the terciaries, then, assembled in the chapel of the Cenacle, where the Prince of the Apostles celebrated the Eucharistic Sacrifice and gave Holy Communion to all. The worship ended, seeing that the hour of the greatly desired Pentecost had come, the Divine Mary sat in the centre of the sacred hall, facing the Tabernacle and having at each side the Apostles, the disciples, the women disciples and the terciaries; none having his back to the Blessed Sacrament reserved there. When all were in their places, the most wise Mistress prepared them with a fervent homily on the mysteries of the Trinity, particularly on those of the Third Divine Person, at the end of which all recited the Our Father. Saint Mary of Jesus of Agreda gives us a very correct description of Pentecost Sunday which we summarize according to our interpretation: When all were gathered about their heavenly Mistress and engaged in prayer, at the hour of terce the air resounded with a great clap of thunder fearsome to hear, and a wind or vehement spirit of great brightness as of lightning and fire; and it all headed towards the house of the Cenacle, filling it with light; and as the Most Divine Fire poured Itself out upon that holy gathering, there appeared over the head of each one present a Tongue of that Fire, for in that form did the Holy Ghost manifest Himself, filling one and all with divine influences and sovereign gifts; for we teach that the members of the Church there gathered in the Cenacle about the Most Holy Virgin Mary, at the instant that the virtue of the Paraclete copiously inundated them, were immersed in beatific vision, contemplating for seven seconds the mysteries of the Trinity, and receiving at the same time the grace of confirmation in the Faith, about which we shall speak later. But as is seen in the sacred text, another of the charisms poured out by the Divine Paraclete upon those gathered at the Cenacle was the gift of tongues, for them to make use of for the glory of God. When the Apostles, the disciples, the women disciples and the terciaries realized that they possessed infused knowledge of tongues, and that they spoke them one to another quite naturally, they could not get over their astonishment; for the prodigy of tongues was manifested first thus, inside the Cenacle. It is well to make clear that the «roar from Heaven, as of a wind that blew with all might» (Acts II, 2) mentioned by Saint Luke in his sacred Book, and which we teach was accompanied by convulsions of fire, had its origin in the vault of Heaven and suddenly descended to the house of the Cenacle, the whole of which became engulfed and at once pervaded by this prodigious manifestation of the Third Divine Person. Moreover, we indicate that when the roar with the fire and wind was produced on high, at that very instant the Holy Ghost poured Himself out upon those gathered in the Cenacle about the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Who visibly displayed the heavenly refulgence of Her glorious gifts. His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII infallibly teaches that the roar was the breath of Christ Who, from Heaven, sent the Holy Ghost (Doc. 46). Saint Luke goes on to say that «there were then dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under Heaven « (Acts II, 5), that is, from the different parts of the world inhabited by Jews. He then adds that «when this was spread abroad, the multitude came together» (Acts II, 6); for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and many others come to the city for the Jewish feast of Pentecost, when they heard the thunder and saw the whirl of wind and fire which, from on high, hurled in a roar towards a certain place in the city, which we know was the house of the Cenacle, went hurriedly to where that phenomenon was headed, telling others as they went; and when they stood before the holy House, they saw how it was enveloped in a sea of flame all-resplendent which, far from inspiring fear, produced an irresistible and suave attraction.

4. At 10 a.m. on that Pentecost Sunday, the Apostles Elias, Henoch and Moses returned to their planetary mission, there to give testimony of all that had occurred. As Peter observed the multitude of people that had assembled before the Cenacle, with the Most Holy Virgin Mary’s leave he and the other Apostles went out to give courageous testimony of Christ. Wherefore Peter from the door, and the other eleven scattered among the crowd, began to preach; and their words, filled with supernatural wisdom, penetrated their listeners’ hearts like rays of divine light; for in addition, as His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII teaches, upon the head of each of the Apostles everyone saw the Tongue of Fire whereby the Holy Ghost made Himself manifest (Doc. 38). In verses 6 to 12 of Chapter 11 of the Sacred Book, Saint Luke also refers to yet another way in which the prodigy of tongues was manifested, this time in the presence of the multitude assembled there, which «became astonished, because every man heard them speak in his own tongue» (Acts II, 6); since it is well to explain that when the Twelve addressed the multitude, they did so in Aramaic; and miraculously, those unfamiliar with that language understood them in the language of their own country; and in turn the Apostles understood what these asked them in their own languages. As can be seen in verses 6 to 12 of the Acts of the Apostles, that multitude from all the nations where Jews dwelt, of which Saint Luke names the foremost, was astonished and marvelled to hear, each in his native tongue and without any difficulty, what the Apostles said. But it must be understood that, apart from this prodigy, what most impressed the expectant multitude was the supernatural wisdom flowing from the Apostles’ lips, the doctrinal foundation on which their words were based and the complete conviction with which they explained the grandeurs of the Work of Redemption. Nonetheless, as we see in the present Book of Saint Luke, «others mocking, said: These men are full of wine» (Acts II, 13); for we teach that mingled with the crowd was a good number of Sanhedrists, Sadducees, Pharisees, doctors of the Law and many other perfidious Jews, prepared to disparage the prodigious events that confirmed the evangelical work of the Messias, Whom they had crucified with the intention of banishing His Name and doctrine. As Peter saw that the tumult from Christ’s enemies grew, with the consequent risk of suffocation of the supernatural effects of the Holy Ghost in not a few of that numerous audience, he alone decided, as Head of the Church, and imposing his authority, to pronounce as Pope his first public sermon in Jerusalem; and therefore the other Apostles did gather round him. In his sacred Book Saint Luke narrates as follows: «But Peter, in company with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea and all of you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this well known to you and listen attentively to my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the hour of terce of the day» (Acts II, 14-15). In other words, all knew that the great roar and other prodigies, on account of which they had gathered before the house of the Cenacle, had begun at 9 a.m. when terce began, which was not the most appropriate time for a meal that might occasion a surfeit of drink; neither was the moment in which he then spoke to them, being as it was still well before midday. Forthwith, as is seen in Saint Luke’s sacred text, Pope Peter reminded them all of what the Prophet Joel had said, of whose prophecy we record here only the following text, as spoken by the Apostle: «And it shall come to pass, in the last days (saith the Lord), I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, - and your young men shall see visions; and your old men shall dream dreams» (Acts II, 17; Joel II, 28-29). We see how Peter, when citing Joel’s sacred text, begins it with the following words that do not textually appear there in: «And it shall come to pass in the last days (saith the Lord)... (Acts II, 17); for what the Apostle did was to interpret the prophetic text, in order to apply it more particularly to that Pentecost Sunday, as we now explain. In chapter II of that text of Joel we read: «And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, - and I am the Lord your God, and there is none besides. And My people shall not he confounded for ever» (Joel II, 27), here being prophesied, more especially, the Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ; and that is why the Prophet goes on to say in verse 28: «And it shall come to Pass after this, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh» (Joel II, 28); that is, that after Christ’s ascent to the Father, the Holy Ghost would be sent most profusely upon the Church. There we have the reason why Saint Peter, in his Pentecost Sunday sermon to the multitude, said: «And it shall come to pass, in the last days (saith the Lord), I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh» (Acts II, 17), since he deemed that the last days had begun, in a broad sense, after the Lord’s Ascension; particularly because the Apostles had the notion that Christ would return very soon; though we know that the last days, strictly speaking, are those in which we live at present. Besides, if we consider that when Peter gave his sermon it was the year 5233 of the Creation, and therefore within the sixth millennium, we see how that time could already be considered as the last days, since everything prophesied about the Messias’ mission on earth had been fulfilled; and from then on mankind was in expectation of the Return of Christ and the implantation of His Messianic Kingdom in a time span relatively short in comparison with that elapsed between the Universal Creation and Christ’s Ascension. In short, the first fulfilment of Joel’s prophesy, in what refers to the extraordinary outpouring of the Paraclete, occurred on that Pentecost Sunday over the Apostles at the Cenacle of Jerusalem; and afterwards, in the Pentecost that would descend over the Gentiles at Cornelius’ home, in Caesarea Maritime (Acts X, 44). But it has been newly and lavishly fulfilled in the multiple Marian apparitions and other mystical phenomena of the times in which we live; and will again be fulfilled in the new and apotheotic Pentecost over the Palmarian Apostles. Besides these and other extraordinary manifestations, there should be borne in mind the ordinary assistance given to the Church by the Holy Ghost.

5. Immediately after Peter had proved that the Prophet Joel’s prophecy had had its first apotheotic fulfilment in that extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and others in the Cenacle, he made a sublime defence of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whose works and miracles he had been witness; and he supported it with several of the Prophet David’s messianic psalms, as we interpret from verses 22-36 of chapter II of the Acts of the Apostles. The highly inspired words of the first Pope made so deep an impression on many of those gathered before the Cenacle that, as Saint Luke says, «when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles: What shall we do, men and brethren? But Peter said to them: Do penance, and be baptized everyone of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost» (Acts II, 37-38). Since in order to be baptized they had first publicly to abjure the apostate Jewish Church, formed of and governed by henchmen of Satan, in verse 40 of the cited text of Saint Luke is contained this requirement: «He exhorted them, saying.- Save your selves from this perverse generation» (Acts II, 40). That Pentecost Sunday was fruitful in conversions; for, as is also interpreted from the Acts of the Apostles, of the throng listening to Peter, those that accepted his word were baptized; and, therefore, «that day about three thousand souls» (Acts II, 41) were incorporated into the Church of Christ. However, before speaking of the administration of Baptism to the new converts, it is fitting to add that the testimony of that numerous group of believers in the Apostles’ favour so disconcerted the members of the Sanhedrin and other perverse Jews mingled with the crowd, that one by one these abandoned the neighbourhood of the Cenacle. For despite the prodigious and supernatural manifestations of Pentecost in support of the evangelical Faith, the majority of the Jewish People, following in the steps of the Sanhedrin, became even more obstinate in their sin against the Holy Ghost. In her revelations, Saint Mary of Jesus of Agreda speaks with great correctness of the solicitous intervention of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, before that numerous group of converts, presented to Her by the Apostle Peter, at whose plea the great Mistress, coming to the door of the Cenacle, addressed them the following most sweet words of encouragement and consolation, which each heard in his own tongue: «Give thanks to Almighty God and praise Him with your whole heart, because from among all men He has drawn you and called you to the sure path of eternal life with the tidings of the holy Faith you have received. Be firm therein so as to confess it with all your heart, and so as to hear and believe all that the Law of Grace contains, as its true Teacher Jesus, My Son and your Redeemer, ordained and taught; and so as to hear and obey His Apostles, who will teach and instruct you; and by Baptism you will be marked with the sign and character of children of the Most High». We teach that on Pentecost Sunday, the 15th of May of the year 34, after the Most Holy Virgin Mary had maternally exhorted the more than three thousand catechumens, the latter, with the twelve Apostles and a good number of the disciples, headed for the nearby Hinnon Torrent, where they received further instruction from Peter in fundamental points of Gospel Law. And when all had abjured their errors and vehemently professed their faith in Christ, the Sacrament of Baptism was administered to them by the twelve Apostles, who used the infusion method, as Christ had always done; in otherwords, at the same time as each Apostle pronounced the formula: «I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost», he poured the baptismal water over the head of his neophyte, all being baptized one after another. The new Christians then received the Sacrament of Confirmation from the Apostles, who imposed their right hand upon each head, anointing the forehead at the same time with Holy Chrism making the sign of the cross. Therefore, when in the cited verse 38 we read «and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost», it must be understood that the new converts received Sanctifying Grace in Baptism; and an increase in that Grace in Confirmation; and that, besides, they were favoured with extraordinary charisms from the Paraclete. A good number of these more than three thousand neophytes were those «devout men, out of every nation «, to whom reference is made in chapter II, verse 5 of the Acts of the Apostles; and who, as has already been defined in chapter XX of this Treatise, were Carmelites that had not had any previous opportunity to be baptized; for we teach now that those Carmelites of both sexes lived in other lands and it had not been possible for them to have contact with Christ. Many of the converts, once baptized and confirmed, returned to their homelands greatly strengthened by the Paraclete, in order to form there new Christian communities which later on would be visited by the Apostles; while a good number, both of men and of women, did not wish to leave Jerusalem so as not to be separated from Jesus’ Divine Mother and from those living with Her at the Cenacle, wherein dwelt religious of both sexes duly separated. Given that these Essene celibates who had been converted joined the Christian religious communities, it became necessary to organize new conventual houses: Lazarus’ house in Bethany, as well as the one he owned in Jerusalem, became occupied by friars; and the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany and Obed’s house in Bethphage became occupied by nuns. But those who were not called to the religious life lived their family life apart. It is well to state that within these Carmelite religious communities, besides the 72 official disciples or Princes of the Church, there dwelt the other new male members also considered disciples; as distinct from the lay people who were known as tertiary faithful. We teach that on the afternoon of Pentecost Sunday, the 15th of May of the year 34, Pope Peter, to fulfil Christ’s mandate, in the presence of the other Apostles, the disciples and the rest gathered at the Cenacle, imposed on the whole Church the need for the Sacrament of Penance for the forgiveness of mortal sins, just as Christ had intended when He instituted the Sacrament on Easter Sunday. One of those converted on Pentecost Sunday was Saint Gerontius, a Sephardic Jew, a native of Italica in the province of Seville, Spain, and whom Saint Peter baptized and also gave leave, that same day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, to enter the Carmelite Order as a religious. Saint Gerontius was later to receive, in a single imposition of Saint Peter’s hands, the diaconate, presbyterate and episcopate, but without becoming one of the 72 official disciples or Princes of the Church. This glorious Saint returned to his native town of Italica when he went with Saint Peter on his visit to Seville; he afterwards accompanied the first Pope on his apostolic joumey through Spain. It was also Saint Peter who appointed Saint Gerontius the first bishop of Italica.

6. After considering the apotheotic Pentecost over those gathered in the Cenacle of Jerusalem, it behoves us further to clarify the doctrine on the charisms or gifts of the Ho]y Ghost. His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII infallibly defines «that although the Holy Ghost breathes upon whomsoever He pleases, as, when and wherever He pleases, notwithstanding, the soul that possesses the grace of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, possesses not only the seven gifts or ordinary charisms of the Holy Ghost, but also the extraordinary ones, since the Divine Paraclete is the Great Supernatural Gift or Gift of gifts.

Let us now further consider this doctrine, bearing in mind other infallible teachings of the Supreme Palmarian Pontiff-.

(a) «The indwelling of the seven gifts or ordinary charisms of the Holy Ghost in the soul in the state of grace, is the one same Holy Ghost, the Great Supernatural Gift, Uncreated Soul of the Church, heptapresent, or sublime and blazing Volcano in eruption, according to correspondence with grace through the practice of virtue». The heptapresence of the Holy Ghost in the soul or indwelling of the seven gifts or ordinary infused charisms, are seven distinct ways in which the Holy Ghost operates in the soul; which according to correspondence with grace through the practice of virtue, is inflamed to a greater or lesser degree by this Most Divine Volcano. Hence, however greater or lesser be the soul’s espousal with the Holy Ghost, greater or lesser will be the supernatural life or influence of the divine gifts of the Holy Ghost; although the working in the soul of each of the seven ordinary infused gifts or charisms is not always equal, since the soul may share more in one gift than in another for several reasons, always subordinate to the will of God, such as: the petition for a specific virtue, the grace of state, personal dispositions, natural ability, etc. The seven gifts of the Holy Ghost or ordinary infused charisms are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. As each of them is the ordinary operation of the most divine Paraclete in the soul, the Gift of Wisdom is the Holy Ghost giving life of wisdom to the soul; the Gift of Understanding is the Ho]y Ghost giving life of understanding to the soul; the Gift of Counsel is the Holy Ghost giving life of counsel to the soul; the Gift of Fortitude is the Holy Ghost giving life of fortitude to the soul; the gift of Knowledge is the Holy Ghost giving life of knowledge to the soul; the Gift of Piety is the Holy Ghost giving life of piety to the soul; the Gift of Fear of the Lord is the Holy Ghost giving life of fear of the Lord to the soul. The last mentioned Gift is, as holy Scripture insistently says, the beginning of true Wisdom in man. The better to understand the sublime mystery of the heptapresence of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, «meditate on these two examples: (a) In the ciborium a single Christ, present whole and entire in each of the Sacred Hosts; (b) In each human being the one human soul is present whole and entire in each of the parts of the body». When man, through the observance of the Commandments of God’s Law, is vivified by the most divine Paraclete’s seven gifts infused in his soul, he obtains the fruits of the Holy Ghost which as we know are twelve: charity, spiritual joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, forbearance, faithfulness, meekness, modesty, continence and chastity. The possession of these gifts is sanctity in greater or lesser degree, according to the perfection of the soul. Even though each of the seven ordinary gifts operates more or less intensely in the soul, each necessarily does so in extremely close connection with the others, since the seven are the one same Holy Ghost.

(b) «The indwelling of the extraordinary gifts or charisms of the Holy Ghost in the soul in the state of grace, is the one same Holy Ghost, the great Supernatural Gift, Uncreated Soul of the Church, multipresent, or sublime Volcano veiled or extinguished, which can erupt impetuously according to the needs of the Church». The extraordinary infused gifts or charisms, are the multiple ????y most singular operations of each of the seven ordinary gifts or charisms. The extraordinary infused gifts or charisms, though multipresent in the soul in the state of grace, are generally veiled or extinguished; for they are not at man’s free disposal, since the Holy Ghost manifests them exceptionally to whomsoever He pleases, as, where and when He pleases, according to the needs of the Church, irrespective of the merits or demerits of the recipient; though a soul, through prayer and the practice of virtue, is able to obtain extraordinary charisms. Moreover, if a charismatic makes proper use of such charisms, they will be beneficial to his sanctification; but if, on the contrary, he rashly rejects, despises or makes bad use of them, he places himself in grave danger of eternal condemnation, since God always gives grace sufficient to enable a charismatic to fulfil his mission, however difficult it may be. The following examples serve for better comprehension of extraordinary charisms: the extraordinary charism of tongues is a most singular operation of the Gift of Knowledge; the extraordinary charism of heroic resistance of martyrs is a most singular operation of the Gift of Fortitude; the extraordinary gift of comprehending, already on earth, most high mysteries of God reserved for the beatific vision, is a most singular operation of the Gift of Understanding; and we could put forward many such examples.

(c) When a member of Christ’s Mystical Body is in mortal sin, which God forbid, though the Holy Ghost does not dwell in his soul, and consequently neither do His seven ordinary Supernatural Gifts, nor the extraordinary ones, God can make use of him also as an instrument, to the Church’s benefit, with extraordinary charisms. For, as His Holiness Pope Gregory XVII infallibly teaches, «the soul not in grace can receive the sublime eruption exteriorly without being touched by the Holy Ghost». In other words the Paraclete’s operations, through extraordinary charisms come - to him who is in mortal sin - from without; though the effect to the benefit of the Church is the same.

(d) The above-mentioned teaching applies also to those outside the Church, when through extraordinary charisms the Holy Ghost uses such persons for a specific purpose, something which very rarely occurs.

(e) With divine leave, Satan is often a great imitator of extraordinary supernatural gifts or charisms, through his diabolic power; for in his irresistible impulse to deceive men in order to separate them from God and draw them to eternal damnation, he appears to many as an angel of light: whether appearing to men in the form of some heavenly personage, or inducing them to say deceitful but apparently heavenly things in his name, or by working false miracles through persons, or by instilling diabolical strength in people in order to achieve his evil plans, and so forth. Satan’s copying of supernatural charisms can occur also in true charismatics.

7. Saint Luke concludes chapter II of the Acts of the Apostles by giving an overall picture of the exemplary evangelical spirit of the first Christians. Although his sacred text (verses 42-47) should be applied more particularly to the way of life of the two communities of Carmelite religious in their observance of the evangelical counsels, it also makes mention of the fervour of the first terciaries and their fidelity to the Church. Saint Luke says: «And they were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles and in the communication of the breaking of bread and in prayers, And fear came upon every soul. Many wonders also and signs were done by the Apostles in Jerusalem: and there was great fear in all... and continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart» (Acts II, 42-43 and 46). The phrase «the breaking of bread» indicates that the Apostles celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the chapel of the Cenacle of Jerusalem or first Temple of Christianity; while the phrase «and breaking bread from house to house» reveals that they also celebrated Holy Mass in the other chapels of the two religious communities and in the homes of some of the terciaries in order that all could thus more easily attend Holy Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament of the eucharist. To this the sacred text refers when it says that «they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart». We teach that the chapel most attended by the faithful was that of the Cenacle, as we interpret from the expression: «And continuing daily with one accord in the Temple» (Acts II, 46a), since here is meant not the Jewish Temple of Jerusalem but rather the first Christian Temple, the Cenacle, in which divine worship was held daily, as likewise the catechesis of neophytes given by the disciples of both sexes. Saint Luke alludes, moreover, to the spirit of disinterestedness and fraternal charity that reigned not only in the two religious communities, but also in the homes of the faithful spread throughout Jerusalem. That is why he says that «all they that believed were together and had all things common. Their possessions and goods they sold and divided them to all, according as everyone had need» (Acts II, 44-45). Regarding the terciaries, Saint Mary of Jesus of Agreda says, as we interpret, that «the number of the faithful daily increased, and their fervour in faith and charity was so ardent that all of them began to imitate the poverty of Christ, despising their riches and property and laying all their possessions at the feet of the Apostles, neither keeping nor deeming anything as their own. They did all things in conunon, and all desired to free themselves from the danger of riches and to live in poverty, sincerity, humility and continual prayer without any other care than that of eternal life, since all considered themselves as brethren and children of one Father in Heaven». We should mention the praiseworthiness of the generous behaviourof many of those first Christian tertiary families, who were neither consecrated to the religious life nor bound, therefore, by the vow of poverty; yet not a few of them renounced and laid their lawful possessions at the feet of the Church for the common benefit of all her members. But this relinquishing of their goods was always motivated by the generosity of the faithful, and was never imposed in any way by the hierarchy of the Church, she being the first to respect and defend private property, for it is a natural right of man. For that reason, the disinterestedness of many of the early Christian faithful was of a very high order of merit, since they heroically put into practice the sublime counsel of Christ, «Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven» (Matt. V, 3); which not only implied their voluntary and generous detachment from material things in order to dedicate themselves to things spiritual, but even the relinquishing of lawful rights. Besides, the magnanimous conduct of the early Christians bore faithful testimony to their confidence in Divine Providence, which never abandons him who practises the works of mercy. Referring both to the two religious communities and to the faithful in general, Saint Luke goes on to say that all lived «praising God and having favour with all the people» (Acts II, 47a); that is, that by their virtue the Christians won the esteem and admiration of not a few of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with great fruit in conversions and the resultant increase in the number of faithful of the Church, this being why Saint Luke thus concludes: «And the Lord increased daily such as should be saved in this unity» (Acts II, 47b), that is, by means of their union with the Mystical Body of Christ.

8. At the prodigious Pentecost, the twelve Apostles and the others gathered in the Cenacle were confirmed in the Faith, and thus preserved forever from the sin of apostasy, their final perseverance consequently guaranteed; a privilege which must not be confused with confirmation in grace, by which one also enjoys impeccancy. The Apostles, exceedingly strengthened by the Holy Ghost, began to give courageous testimony of Christ throughout the city; and though well aware that the only places where God was truly worshipped were the chapel of the Cenacle, the chapels of the other convents and the homes of the Christians, nevertheless they were wont to frequent one of the porches of the Temple of Jerusalem, without entering any farther, their sole aim being that of preaching the Gospel; for at the Death of Christ that building, however sumptuous, had become the house of Satan. Nevertheless, it was there that the Apostles could more easily address the multitude of assembled Jews, above all at the times of public prayer at the hours of terce and none, when the sacrifice of the morning and of the evening lamb (Ex. XXIX, 39) prescribed in the Law of Moses continued to take place. When in the Acts of the Apostles Saint Luke narrates the healing of the man lame from birth, he says that «Peter and John went up into the Temple at none at the hour of prayer» (Acts III, 1), here referring to one of the days they went to that place solely for apostolic reasons, and not to take any part at all in Jewish worship. We teach that on that day, Saturday the 21st of May of the year 34, there took place the already mentioned healing of the lame man, who daily was borne by his relatives to one of the gates, called `Beautiful’ in the sacred text, and which we identify as the Golden Gate, through which Christ had entered on a donkey on Palm Sunday. Saint Luke says that the cripple, «when he had seen Peter and John about to go into the Temple», that is, into the Porch of Solomon, «asked to receive an alms» (Acts III, 3), and goes onto relate how he was cured. As is seen in this chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, it became public knowledge that the cripple had been healed when Peter had said: «In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk» (Acts III, 6), miracle confirmed by the man himself blest with the healing; for the sacred text says that he entered with the Apostles «into the Temple, walking and leaping and praising God» (Acts III, 8), that is to say that the three entered the Porch, and that, «as he held on to Peter and John, all the people ran to them, to the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering» (Acts III, 11). In other words, many who were praying inside the Temple, on hearing the news of the miracle went out to the porch, where to their great astonishment they could verify that the beggar who had ever been crippled, was now healed; who we teach was called Elias, and was converted to the Faith of Christ, being baptized afterwards by Peter.

9 In verses 12-26 of chapter III of the Acts of the Apostles is contained Peter’s sermon to the great multitude gathered around him in the aforementioned porch of the Temple. The first Pope, at the same time as he made a masterful defence of Christ as the Only begotten of God, reproached the people for their share in condemning to death the Righteous and Holy One, decreed by the iniquitous High Priests and ratified by Pilate. We here cite, for due clarification, the following verses of Peter’s sermon wherein, reproaching the Jews for their deicide, among other things he says to them: «But the Author of life you killed, Whom God hath raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses unto you. And in the faith of His Name, He hath confirmed His Name to this man, whom you have seen and do know; and the faith which is by Him hath given this man perfect soundness in the sight of you all» (Acts III, 15-16). Christ’s Resurrection, wrought by divine power, is the most irrefutable proof that He, as well as true Man, is true and Almighty God from Whom all miracles proceed, such as that of the healing of the man lame from birth. That is why Peter, to make very clear to the Jews that all this was the work of that Jesus Whom they had crucified, told them that through faith in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to the cripple they had seen and did know, was confirmed that the Name of Christ is all-powerful; for through the Faith that has come to us through Christ, the cripple had been completely healed, as was plain for all to see. In other words, the miraculous healing of the cripple was one proof more that Christ is true God, Who had made use of the instrument Peter. We also see how the Prince of the Apostles exhorted that crowd of Jews in the following words: «Be penitent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out» (Acts III, 19); for only by accepting the true Faith in Jesus Christ, together with good works and sorrow for their sins, could they be saved «when the times of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Him Who hath been preached unto you, Jesus Christ» (Acts III, 20), as the sacred text goes on to say; here referring to the refreshment of Eternal Bliss given to the saved after the Particular Judgement, as reward for their good works, by the Supreme Judge Jesus Christ, Who, during His life on earth, had through His preaching of the Gospel given testimony of Himself as the Saviour, which is how the expression «Who hath been preached unto you» must be interpreted. And for all to know that, after the Lord’s Ascension, to the Church pertained the salvific mission begun by her Divine Founder Jesus, the Apostle Peter at once told the Jews that it was necessary for Jesus Christ, the invisible Head of the Church, to govem her from Heaven through the Visible Head - namely the Pope, His legitimate Vicar on earth - until His Return for the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom, which is how the following verse referring to Christ is to be interpreted: «Whom Heaven indeed must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of his Holy Prophets in times past» (Acts III, 21). So that the Jews might better understand God’s deference towards them as descendants of that Abraham to whom was given the promise of salvation for the Chosen People, since from his line the Saviour was to be born, Peter ended his sermon thus, telling them: «God making His Son flesh, hath sent Him first to you that He may bless you: that everyone may turn from his wickedness» (Acts III, 26). By which, at the same time as he invited them to follow the teachings of that Jesus Christ they had rejected and done to death, he let them glimpse the eternal punishment that ensues from contempt of the many privileges given by God in consequence of His promise to Abraham.

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